Welcome to the Gateway to Glacier. Savor the local cuisine, warm your core with local spirits, discover local artisans and authors, bask in the beauty of Glacier National Park and delight in a scenic drive along one of NW Montana's hidden gems. This trip begins and ends in Columbia Falls, in Montana's Western Glacier Country. This is one of our favorite autumn and winter trips.

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Day 1

Uptown Hearth Microbakery has been a local favorite secret spot for years. Lucky for you they expanded their kitchen and created a gorgeous space for you to savor 100% organic locally milled flour and grain pastries, breads, soups, full breakfast,…

Camping or not, you'll want to stroll the shores of Lake McDonald across the road from the campground. Free ranger-led 2 hour snowshoe tours are offered every weekend, in the winter, typically January to March from the Apgar Visitor Center. Contact Glacier National Park for dates and information on snowshoe rentals.

Apgar campground is located in West Glacier- Glacier National Park. We like it as a homebase when visiting the Park. It's the largest campground in the Park and is close proximity to the West Glacier entrance. From the campground you can easily…

Saturdays & Sundays, January thru March 2019. Enjoy a two-hour ranger-led snowshoe walk and take an intimate look at the park in winter. Search for signs of wildlife, discover the plants and animals of the park, and enjoy the solitude of winter…

Open year round on the shores of Glacier National Park's Lake McDonald. Incredible collection of local and regional focused books and Montana Made goods. Ask them about their speaker series.

Art and crafts made by Native American and Montana artists- featuring books, pottery, wood pieces, jewelry, and Native American beadwork. The shop offers a wide music selection including traditional and contemporary Native American musicians and…

Make sure to ask them about Josephine Doody, the Bootleg Lady of Glacier Park.

Glacier Distilling is a craft distillery nestled in the foothills near Glacier National Park. We specialize in small-batch whiskeys that reflect the rugged beauty of our surroundings. We use local grains, Flathead cherries and pure glacial…

Historic Tamarack Lodge and Cabins offers so much more than accommodations! Public is welcome to pony up to their historic bar or dine with Off the Beaten Path. Recommend calling ahead for dinner reservations on weekends.

Built in 1907, the Tamarack Lodge was one of the first visitor centers around Glacier National Park. It was moved from its original location in Belton/West Glacier and rebuilt log by log in the 1940's at the current location eight miles from the…

Day 2

Hungry Horse Reservoir is 34 miles long with approximately 170 miles of shoreline and is quite the hidden gem located on Flathead National Forest high in the Rocky Mountains. Minutes from Glacier National Park and the communities of Hungry Horse…

Backslope Brewing offers a laid back spot to reminisce about the day's adventures over a craft brew and delicious locally sourced food pairing. Located in Montana's Flathead Valley "Gateway to Glacier", with views of the Swan Mountain Range,…

I like to experience a place. I typically scout out the locals' coffeehouse or cafe and use that as a jumping off point. Striking up a conversation with a local can provide leads on authentic regional experiences that you will never forget.